Employment Situation of Trans People in the Context of the Southern European Welfare Regime: The Case of Turkey

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the employment situation of trans people in the context of the Southern European welfare regime in Turkey. We observe that the welfare state has emerged as a product of the Industrial Revolution towards the end of eighteenth century. The Industrial Revolution led to a diversification of products in manufacturing along with technological change and reforms in this era brought many variations in social, economic, political, and cultural fields. Within this context, the Southern European welfare regime plays a critical role in establishing a patriarchal system, a gender-based division of labor, and sexual orientation and gender identity categories that are rejected in culture and the system. By looking at the previous studies that collected limited data, we aim to present the yearly changes in the employment rate and the situation of trans people in Turkey. Due to the hostile work environment, inadequate policies and actions, and the discrimination against trans people, the employment rate of both trans women and trans men working in the public sector is very low. Not surprisingly, the situation is not different for the trans individuals working in the private sector. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.